This is not so much a matter of birds lacking taste or smell (some birds have a great sense of smell), but about the pepper plants using a pretty harmless chemical defence for their seeds to select a particular group of seed distributors. Capsicum is the active ingredient in hot peppers that makes them hot. It chemically reacts with mammalian nerve cells to get them to send the same signal that they send when the cells are overheated, but without doing any actual damage in the process. That is why eating hot peppers always feels like heat and not some other pain, like chewing broken glass (highly not recommended). The nerve cells in birds and reptiles use a slightly different mechanism to detect being on fire and so are effectively immune to the effects of capsicum. From the plant's point of view, it wants its seeds distributed by birds, who have a fast digestion system to keep the weight down, not by mammals who tend to have a more aggressive digestion which will break down the seeds, so the plants try to scare away the annoying mammals with a chemical defence for the next generation.
This strategy works on humans as well. Back in the day I had a extreme moocher for a roommate that would eat all of my food. So I started getting spicy food. I happen to like it much hotter than normal. 1 bite of my spanish rice and that was all she wrote. I could then have hot wings any time I wanted and some good chili or creole shrimp.
My birds eat with my squirrels. They are like a mixed family and it is beautiful to see them all get along. My Blue Jays are the hawk police for the squirrels, crows, mourning doves, cardinals, starlings, sparrows and ducks. They are literally one big happy group of furry & feathered friends! My regulars have been here the last 2 years and have learned to eat side by side. When you buy as much bird and critter food as I do, they learn to get along. These guys eat better than I do...and they bring me such joy.
I’m in the same boat. I spend roughly $170 every 3 months on bird seed plus bag after bag of peanuts for my squirrels! Like you said - they eat better than me !
Me to... i don't mind them at all... i actually put corn 🌽 and peanuts 🥜 with the shell on out for them also. They all eat together. You must have some mean squirrels... lol
I almost thought you were talking about the area I live in.😁One of my neighbors has a youtube channel showing all sorts of animals. He is keeping us up to date on a pregnant doe he has named Nicky, we should get to see some fawns soon.😊
Interesting. We tried to keep the chipmunks from eating all our crocuses as soon as they came up every year by sprinkling them with cayenne pepper. They were eaten more quickly than usual. So then we realized they were Mexican chipmunks.
If you were ever told deers don't eat geraniums, it's a lie! Mine do. After about $40 worth of geraniums got gobbled up, I've sprinkled them with cayenne pepper. I'm still not sure it'll work - need more time to assess the result.
Thank you so much for this!! Our battle with squirrels has taken so many forms. But this one is truly worth trying. We have tried EVERYTHING. Thank you!!
What about trapping them with a humane trap you can get a rural king or any farm store and relocate them? I assume you may not have a setting where you can use a pole with squirrel baffle placed at least 5ft high & the pole at least 15ft away from spots they can jump on it … we live on a very wooded lot with many squirrels and ours cannot get to the feeders on our pole due to proper placement and the baffling
@@birdgirl1516 Thank you for your reply. We have been trapping them but they are far too over populated here on this dry riverbed we live on that it doesnt make a dent in our infestation. Plus we dont want to relocate the problem to someone/something else. And frankly we dont have the time. We also dont have the finances to get materials or the where with how to build or put in poles on property we are renting in a crowded living community. Thanks for the advice tho.
When I first got my bird table the food was being wolfed down until I noticed it was squirrels leaving nothing for my birds. I started using extra hot chilli powder and caught it basically it stood bolt upright and shot off I’ve never seen them since now my birds can enjoy the food that was intended for them it really works 😉
@@mitzylynn7958 I put suet balls in squirrel protective hangers they can’t get at them I only mix extra hot chilli powder in with the bird seed on the bird table it also keeps the rats away too ! It definitely works for me 😊
@@dorenemayer1168 I feed them also, critter mix, but only put cayenne pepper in my black oil sunflower seed feeders, so that it keeps the squirrels off, finches, titmice, chickadees, and nuthatches eat their food with out the squirrels raiding it.
We use red pepper flakes mixed into chicken feed to encourage our hens to lay more eggs. It actually works. My hens definitely have a sense of taste because they nibble on certain foods then move on if they don’t like it. Same goes with the momma hen when she samples the food before encouraging her chicks to eat it. Roos do the same for the whole flock.
Not eating some of the food might have to do with the season/time of year like during the molt. When I use to keep Birmingham Roller pigeons they would pick through the feed and only eat what their body needed at that time. For example during summer they wouldn’t touch the corn but would eat it in winter so I’m assuming to put on weight for the winter. There was I time of the year(I don’t remember exactly) that they wouldn’t touch the peas and other times it would be the wheat or milo. During the breeding season they would finish the grit and oyster shells but wouldn’t touch the oyster shells once breeding season was over.
thanks for the review, just bought my first bird feeders and I heard about the hot spicy bird food so I might have to see if we need that as well after we set up our bird feeding station
A bit of correction here: A lot of birds do have a decent sense of smell, some (like vultures) even have a very impressive one. But smell and taste aren't the issue here. The spiciness of hot peppers has nothing to do with either sense. Capsaicin triggers a false alarm in an entirely different receptor...the one responsible for detecting high temperatures. And this receptor is what birds lack and what makes them immune to capsaicin's effects. The reason we think of the effects of capsaicin as being a matter of taste or smell is that the areas we use for those two senses are also densely packed with those heat receptors.
My question is do they have the digestive tract for eating such spicy foodstuffs. Like they still have stomachs spicy food can put ulcers in peoples stomach even if they don’t eat spicy foods all the time.
@@ok.ok.5735 Yes. The reason peppers are spicy is precisely that birds can eat them without trouble. Wild capsicum seeds are spread by birds. The plants evolved capsaicin to ensure that only birds (whose digestive tracts the seeds would pass through unharmed) would touch their fruit and mammals (who would be a lot less effective at spreading the seeds around and who have digestive tracts that could destroy the seeds) get repelled. It is very specifically an anti-mammal chemical weapon. Of course what the plant didn't expect was some masochistic primates actually learning to _enjoy_ the pain and eat the fruit _because_ of it...
@@jimthvac100 Yeah, this "hot pepper bird seed" is one of the biggest gimmicks I've seen in a long time. Mix a bottle of hot sauce (or some cayenne powder) into a bag of regular seed you get from your fav big box store. It's virtually guaranteed to be much cheaper. I don't have that problem because, in my neighborhood, just about every house has _at least_ one tree that bares nuts.
We tried that with sriracha hot pepper sauce, it worked at first but then now we keep getting squirrels come asking for more hot pepper sauce whenever they eat pizza. The birds are now spitting out little fireballs out of their rear ends.
Love this idea. I found a 4 inch pipe around the feeder pole where the squirrels can't grab onto to climb up and high enough they can't jump up on it works well too. Thanks for sharing.
Try mixing the spicy seed with regular seed so you get a little more out of the price. Eventually they will get smart enough to pick out the good seeds however
I make my own spray from a pultice of ghost peppers and steep it in boiling water [ one cup ] and spray it on the sunflower seeds on a barrel. Then the next day watch the fire works
My squirrels LOVED the Coles hot pepper bird seed!!! They ate it so fast & came back for more. Even broke my bird feeder getting to it. So up here in Western New York, the squirrels love hot food!!! Haha!
@@LeaLogsdon Now the squirrels wait for me on the porch to get their peanuts. I've been bribing them with peanuts & walnuts to stay away from the feeders. Haha! Nope, they just store those away, & still eat the Coles.
Great video! The squirrel made the same face I do when I eat hot peppers! I opted to use Cole's hot pepper liquid to treat the sunflower chips and hearts and my waste-free bird seed. The squirrels hate it and I think it's more economical than buying the pre-treated food. And yes, gloves and goggles are essential for mixing the liquid and the seed. I used about 5 tbsp per 6 lbs of seed.
After looking at prices of pretreated bird seed I think I like your option of treating my own seeds. Thanks for sharing your use of the liquid & amounts. 😊❤️
It's not that they hate it their mouth is on fire just like yours or mine would be. Difference is you and I can go to the fridge and grab a cold drink of water and problem solved not the poor squirrel good chance it's going to die if it's summertime a miserable slow painful death because he didn't want him getting something to eat from his bird feeder. I hope one day I run into this guy so maybe I can strap him into a chair and feed him ghost peppers and put a bottle of water just out of his reach see how he f****** likes it. Squirrels are extremely intelligent that's how they can figure out how to get into the bird feeder in the first place they should get some food just for being smart enough to figure it out. They do make bird feeders the squirrels cannot get in they cost a little bit more but it's what you do if you have any kind of humanity in you. Or you can do what this guy does and just be a complete prick And feed them hot peppers
Great video! I don't usually have a problem with squirrels, but will pass this on to my friends who have lots of squirrels in their gardens and feeders. Thanks.
As a professional flower farmer, I've never understood why people don't want squirrels in their gardens. They're God's little gardeners. I've learned so much by watching them plant seeds, watching those seeds turn into little flags all over my farm to let them know where their food sources are. They eat the grubs from the ground, and are so entertaining to watch flying through the old ash trees that provide a break from the wind around our farm. I entice them to my farm, I don't worry about whether they get the food, or the birds, or racoons, or whatever. In 20 years of farming, I've created a quite lovely ecosystem where God's creatures live and move and breathe. They bring me joy. I hope others find that simple joy in their lives.
That’s nice but birds are scared of them and squirrels are greedy, they eat and eat until there’s nothing left for birds. They also raid bird nests and get in my attic and walls. I think that is enough of reasons for me😀
I put out sunflower and other nuts on the ground for the squirrels and put the tiny seed in my feeder. The squirrels will leave that alone as long as they have other (easier) food. But they will shake out the contents of the whole feeder for a few sunflower seeds when there is cracked corn or less desire food within easy reach. Just have to find what works for you. I could see where hungry squirrels might build a tolerance to spicy just like we do. I also leave out a bowl of fresh water. This keeps them from snacking on garden vegetables in the summer when thirsty (read somewhere that was a big reason they do it and why it’s just a small bite missing but it dried out quick, especially tomatoes), and the birds like the water a lot too.
I really dont mean to sound to harsh but these little creatures have caused alot of havoc in my neighborhood. They knock over small flower pots,dig holes in the yard,dig in the mulch along the concrete driveway spreading the mulch all over it. They have scratched and chewed their way into attics to have babies,AND have crawled up into warm engine compartments chewing through wiring causing $300 to 400 dollars worth of damage to autos. I wish I could entice them to come to your flower farm.
I just planted corn in my garden, and overnight some stupid squirells or some other rodents dag up 3 of my corns. NOw I covered my garden in hot pepper and anti-squrell spikes.
Thanks Scott had me smiling as I watched this video and the effect it had on the squirrels ... I’ve been chasing them out with a fishing pole which does work well while I feed the birds that come to my yard especially if it touches them while they escape they won’t come back ( that day ) I was wondering though out the video how much would this cost but near the end you gave a clue that it’s EXPENSIVE I may purchase one bag but I’m wondering if this is something that could be baked into regular bird food ?
Just dust ordinary powdered red chile pepper on your seed before you serve it. You can buy pounds of the stuff for very little cost and a teaspoon or two for a pound or two of seed will usually be plenty enough. The hotter and finer-ground the powder, the more effective it will be. Just don't confuse Chili Power with an "i" with Chile Powder with an "e," as the former is usually weaker peppers mixed with garlic, cumin, and other ingredients that you don't want involved.
My dad used to run the shop for a citrus coop here in Fl years ago. Anyway when the orange blossums would bloom certain groves would have a ton of deer, which would eat said blossums as high as they could reach which led to less fruit for the grove owner. Well some how this company that made a product called hot sauce got involved. Anyhow i remember hearing that they said to use the speed sprayer which is what they would spray the trees for herbicide/pesticide. So they sprayed one orange grove with the hot sauce to see if it was gonna work like the sales rep said. My dad said when the head of production took the manager to see what the results were. The deer ate EVERYTHING the hot sauce touched that they could reach including bark off of the trees, lets just say that order was canceled...
I wonder if you could do like I do to my plants to keep deer from eating them. I mix Tabasco sauce with water and spray it on the leaves. I would think you could do that with the bird seed too. Worth a try.
A product called liguid fence works for keeping anything from eating anything, its made from fermented eggs and garlic. Couple sprays of trees and area, its off the menu. When you smell it you will know why it works. Could problem ferment up some homemade type, but this stuff works
I think I have Mexican squirrels, as peppered seeds don't stop them. I had one of the cage feeders like on here. The young squirrels and red squirrels could get into it easily. Eventually the plastic part on the top was chewed through so the feeder can't be hung up any more.
Yeah, it's funny because I use pepper seeds to deter my squirrels and it mostly works, but there was this one squirrel who seemed immune to them. He would chow down and not have any reaction to the heat! We called him teriyaki squirrel.
I was thinking the same thing. There was a story my grandfather told me.when he was a kid his father rented a house to an American family, will his father was having trouble keeping the dog from his chicken coop to eat the eggs. The American father suggested putting hot sauce in a couple of eggs to stop the dog. Well that probably would have worked if the dog hadn’t live on Mexican table scraps.
LOL I just said the same thing today… two Mexican squirrels in NY 😭. Well, I guess if it keeps two out of the at least ten we have in the yard regularly, that’s at least some help 😕.
I know I'm a lil late with this one, but even tho the birds can't really taste or smell it, does the spiciness of the pepper in the bird seed affect their stomach negatively like ours if they eat too much?
i dont believe so. i dont remember what science youtube channel i saw it on, but it said in so many words that basically "peppers developed their spice defense in order to keep mammals from crushing and destroying their seeds, while birds would eat the seeds in a less destructive way and 'disperse' them more far and wide"
I made some bread for myself a couple weeks ago that had a lot of my dehydrated habanero and jalapeno pepper skins mixed into it. Usually i give the heel of breads to the squirrels to nibble on. When I gave this spicy bread, later I happened to spot the male eating it and I seen him running frantically on the tree trying to lick at the new spring leaves of this cottonwood in my yard. In fact he even was wiping his face with his paws. The odd thing about it all is he is still eating what I put out for him. I made several loaves.
I tried that stuff in my bird feeder, without other alternatives, and the squirrels didn't seem to mind that at all they just powered through it and it apparently drove the birds away because I couldn't attract any birds back until I put out a New bird feeder with normal food. Anyway I found a pole tall enough for my bird feeders that all I have to do is put a baffle right below the feeders and the squirrels don't seem to be able to get past it.
I had the same experience with a spicy bird seed my grandmother purchased. It didn't seem to bother the squirrels, raccoons, or deer at all. So naturally, I tried eating some. It turns out, some of this stuff that is advertised as spicy just isn't spicy at all.
He put away in the first bucket to cover with the lid. He doesn't leave the seeds in the plastic , some other animals might bite into the plastic, and a lot of other very smart reasons. He takes much less outside to the feeder instead to take a heavy bucket! Smart guy!!!
Try mixing black pepper with regular bird seed! I once had a mouse problem, so I sprinkled black pepper on the floor where I saw some mice and after a while I saw the mice running away like crazy.
Any follow-ups on this? What part of the country are you in? I snagged some of the "Flaming Squirrel Seed Sauce" of theirs and had limited success with it for 2-3 days after which they got a taste for it or something and were getting into the feeders as badly if not moreso than before. I've read reviews by other people in TX who have had similarly temporary results.
I like this idea. Thank you for sharing. I do have another question. As we know as mammals if we eat spicy food it effects our digestive tract. Does the hot pepper effect a birds digestion?
This is a great idea. I have squirrels, but also have quite a few raccoons that devour my seeds as well. Do you think or do you know if hot pepper bird seeds stop the raccoons as well?
I need to try this cause the squirrels are eating me out of house & home 😂 as the saying goes & the birds are not to happy about it either. I’ve been wanting to try hot pepper bird seed but I felt bad for the squirrels 🐿. I’ve been feeding them for almost 25 yrs. think they’ll get mad at me, I live on a fixed income since I had to retire (health). I’ll still put nuts out but gotta do something to curb their appetite. How can such a little creature eat so much? 😊❤️ Have a lovely day.
Great video. We tried Brown's no squirrel feed. It has pepper seed and flakes. The squirrels don't enjoy it but they will eat the seed if they don't have anything else offered. I will have to check out the Cole's Hot Meats and see how they like that.
I have used it, but it has gotten so freaking expensive that now I serve regular sunflower seed only in those caged tube feeders. Supposedly squirrels don’t like the bitterness of safflower seed, so I have put that in platform/tray feeders, but if a squirrel is hungry enough it will eat the safflower seed regardless.
Sounds like a great choice for bear/predators repellent or maybe mosquito repellent ; although you definitely wouldn't want to spray directly on your skin or in a closed off space for that matter .
@@sherrykendrick1765 thank you Sherry, appreciate that...I went to Ace today just came home, they at this store does not carry hot seeds!! They do at other stores...Thanks again!!!
I live next to the woods near a large creek in WA state. I have 2 suet feeders, and to keep the squirrels away, I sprinkle them with hot chili powder. After the birds eat the suet cakes down below the chili powder, I see squirrels come back and have to add more chili, but it works!
I`ve eaten many different types of hot peppers from around the World and they are ALWAYS hot going in AND hot going out! Makes me wonder how birds handle the going out part! lol
This video was incorrect in the explanation of why birds are immune to hot foods. Many birds have great senses of smell and taste. What they lack is the specific receptor that responds to capsaicin. So, they don't experience _any_ burning sensation at all, going in _or_ coming out.
Birds certainly do have a sense of taste. My parrot would throw food out of her dish she didn't like, and even with pellets that had different flavors mixed in, there was certainly one flavor pellet she would toss out, because she didn't like that particular flavor. Yes, many times smell enhances the flavors we humans and other animals enjoy.
I think it’s a great idea to mix regular birds seeds with hot peppers seeds in a bucket for an while , probably works that way too, instead paying a lot of money on the one that’s already mix, what do you think?
Great channel and video. Thanks for sharing your tips. I love squirrels and feed them peanuts and corn from our local feed store, but I'm trying desperately to keep them from eating my beautiful sunflowers. Thanks for the tip. I'll give this a try since the birds aren't bothered by it.
Interesting. Question: Even though the birds have no sense of smell or taste - it doesn't upset their internal organs (stomach, etc)? If not, that is pretty cool. Now we dont have to build these highly scientific squirrel deterrent bird feeders. Reading comments, Nobody seems to know if it affects the birds digestion/internal organs after a period of time. Sure you immediately get rid of the squirrels, but are you also doing long term harm to the birds that eat this stuff.
I had a garden where I grew relatively hot peppers (20,000-30,000 scovils) . Once I was drying some seeds on my kitchen counter and my cockatiel saw them and started eating them. She loved them, more than her food. She ate them for about 5 years before she died, probably of old age since she was about 14 years old. Most of my hot pepper seeds were saved for her when I saw how much she liked them.
Birds can smell/taste, but different animals utilize different taste receptors. Some may be muted or missing entirely. Still, they do have eyes. The mouth isn't the only thing that chili dust can burn.
Came to comment exactly for this. Figured there would be a difference between eating a hot pepper seed, as opposed to eating a seed that's dusted in hot pepper powder. Either way, Squirrels are birds too. -____-
The cost for special seeds would deter me as well as the squirrels. I have a pole mounted feeder that is totally squirrel proof. I put a squirrel baffle on the pole that works perfectly with small red squirrels,but large grey squirrels could hop right over it by gripping the skinny feeder pole with their hind paws. I added an 18" length of leftover 1-1/2" PVC pipe below the baffle,and that did the trick. I have had lots of large squirrels try to defeat this setup,but they are totally stumped by it.
Thank you! Finally, someone who is using compassion and ingenuity. Your solution is by far, the intelligent way to solve the squirrel issue WITHOUT causing harm to a living species and their babies. Squirrels are part of the ecosystem and play an important role in nature. It is not the squirrels' fault that their instinctual habits like....gee, I don't know, say ...gathering food outdoors, in their natural environment... leads them to convienent free food. I find the use capsaicin as a deterrent unnecessarily cruel and harmful. Out smarting them, demonstrates a much higher intellect and is the path of a true nature lover and steward of the planet. How can people proclaim to be outdoor enthusiasts but... want to alter, modify and select only the key factors in a "natural environment" in order to suit their personal "outdoor experience"? I am pretty confident the birds have had a natural balance with squirrels, long before humans came into their natural order of things. Heck, if there are free seeds...they will come...and so will the other woodland inhabitants that find free food quite tasty🐇🐿🦔🐀🐁🦦🦨🐜🐝🐛🦗🦌🦝🐻....🧸...🤣.... the spicy seeds do fall to the ground. What other critters are being harmed by capsaicin burning of the esophageal, stomach, eyes, paws, etc...?
@@jfwm people like you would have a pet chicken and starve first before they would kill it to have something to eat. You put animals on the same level as people you disgust me good morning you give the finger to God for he put us Above All Creatures and they're there for our use not the other way around.
@@jfwm With my approach,the squirrels DO dine on the birdseed,as the birds are real slobs,and seed gets thrown to the ground as they rummage through the seed supply,looking for the kinds of seed they like. My position is that what is in the feeder is strictly for the birds,and anything that falls on the ground belongs to the flightless creatures.
@@sapiophile545 Nope-they are GOD’s creatures and are just looking to eat like the rest of us. You want to treat them otherwise, then that’s on you and your karma.
Birdwatching is one of the best hobbies, you’re out using observational skills to search for birds, alertness, you’re out in nature, etc, and requires skill to photograph them, all good for the brain.
I guess the squirrels around me are made a bit tougher, because I've tried a few different brands of hot pepper seed and they didn't seem to mind one bit when eating the stuff. The same thing with the deer that show up too. The only visitor at my feeders that didn't appear to like it was the raccoons.
I was mixing the hot seed with regular seed to make it last longer. Some squirells would sort through the seeds to get the not hot seeds. I think I made my.feeder more interestimg for squirrels. I use the hot pepper liquid also. It burns your nose and eyes. I wondered if it might be irritating to hatchlings or nestlings. I didn't want to experiment with my finches. Not sure that stuff is ok for pet birds.
@@HouseofSquawk I bought some hot seed but I just didn't feel right using it. Just because birds can't taste it it can't bee too good for their insides and digesting it and regurgitating it to baby birds made me feel nervous about using it. Plus I rubbed my eyes after handling and seriously thought I might have to go to hospital. It took quite some time flushing my eyes with cold water to recover. I became used to the fact the squirrels were going to eat some food anyway. I hand my feeders and suet cakes and cages from a clothes line it is very effective. I worry that squirrels and birds might get hot food in their eyes. If they did they would suffer. It's not worth the risk.
@@marathongman9281 You are very silly. Your body responds to the chemical, capsaicin, in peppers. Birds do not perceive the capsaicin in any way. It has nothing to do with their age and everything to do with them being birds. If the squirrels still eat it, use hotter peppers.
Birds definitely DO have keen senses of smell and taste. The difference is that they don't have the receptors responsible for sensing the heat of capsaicin. So birds are biologically unable to feel it taste the effects of capsaicin-the chemical that makes peppers feel “hot”. Furthermore, birds don't digest the seeds either, but they do digest the pulp around each seed so that when they poop it out, it has an even better chance to germinate. Birds can travel many miles before the drop the seeds and are perfect for spreading the spicy plant's offspring far and wide.
Quick question: to which "spicy plant" are you referring? The sunflower seeds? You do realize that sunflower seeds (or safflower, flax, etc.) treated with capsaicin will not result in spicy flowers, right? 🤔 Just checking, LOL! 😉
@SweeneyGod Oh thank goodness! You're emoji tells me that, A, you knew I was joking, and, B, even if I wasn't, you didn't think birds were dropping little firebombs all over the globe. 😂 ...because that's the image you put in MY head, LOL! Little fires popping up everywhere birds fly overhead. Plop, BOOM, whoosshh! 🔥🦅🔥 😂🤣
A squirrel was destroying my wooden suet feeder, but now that I use hot pepper suet, he doesn't touch it. The problem is that the woodpeckers aren't as fond of it as the regular suet, so that's been a bummer.
I am worried that the cayenne pepper will get in the birds' eyes . I have peppermint plants around the feeding area and I put artificial flowers in those planters and spray them with peppermint oil as well .
I use the liquid stuff(Cole’s Flaming Hot Squirrel Sauce (that is NOT made from squirrels!)) on my seed, and have been using it for years. The trick is to use ENOUGH of the sauce to coat the seed. It works on not just squirrels, but rats, as well.
I have 2 determined squirrels that still eat Cole's sauce treated seeds. I've experimented with using MUCH more than recommended. I even used it with pre-treated spicy seeds! They still eat it and rub their mouths in my potted plants soil. I had to put used coffee grounds on top of the soil to stop that behavior. They can only stand so much so it helps but they hang around the feeders alot keeping the birds away.
I noticed that first tree rat had a big set of nad's and he was dragging them across the hot pepper seeds!!!! 😂 I wonder if he had a case of hot rock's later???? Hahahaha...... One could only hope!
The squirrels would eat my chicken's food. So one day I dusted the exposed area with ground cayenne and watched as a squirrel quickly ran up, took one bite, literally jumped in the air and did a backflip, and tore out of there like a raped ape as soon as his feet touched the groun again, never to be seen again!
If you don't want squirrels or omnivorous birds (that could potentially hunt other birds, like grackles, etc), use safflower seed. Songbirds love it while squirrels and omnivorous birds don't like it due to its bitter taste. Don't use a mix; just straight safflower seed. Works a treat. Cheers.
I use a mix with safflower seeds, its the last thing to go. I give hot pepper seeds when i have some, birds but mainly squirrels eat them in winter. My squirrels disappear as soon as they can see the forest ground in spring until snow covers again
My efforts to deter the squirrels - with cayenne pepper and habanero sauce - backfired. The birds made themselves scarce, while the squirrels were not deterred at all.
Someone may have previously posted what I am going to say. But here goes. The seed is expensive so there is a cheaper alternative. Cayenne powder is washed away by the rain. So get off to a Chinese grocery and buy a bottle of red oil. Soak a large measure of regular seed. in that oil. Pat it dry and then use it in the bird feeder. Ir will last longer and work as well as the commercial hot seed. Red oil is an infusion of oil in very hot chilis. (e.g. habanero chilies.) It is cheap and works a treat. Red oil is used in oriental and especially Szechuan and Hunan cooking. Go for it.
Learn something new every day...I just learned that most birds can't 'feel the heat' of spicy foods and squirrels can(chipchunks too I would guess...).
Simple way to get squirrels to leave your bird feeders alone, just put some critter mix down on the opposite side of the yard your feeders are in. Make sure you give them some avocados and coconut too. Super healthy for the little fur balls..
What about the hot peppers' affecting the soft tissues of the birds' digestive systems? I think this needs enough research to prove it doesn't injure birds!!!
Hey! Yes, that has always been a concern too. Luckily, this stuff has been sold for many, many years, and not one ornithologist or bird organization has come out against using hot pepper bird food. :)
@@BirdWatchingHQ Right- and I did some research today looking for any scientific study (not a marketing study) that indicated that it's harmful to birds and could find nothing conclusive. While I don't want to harm the squirrels and chipmunks around our feeders (I have a separate feeder for them 30 feet away) I am not happy when they take over. And the squirrels and chipmunks cause house damage, so I'm willing to use the treated seed to discourage them.
What about a bird feeder at the top of a greased metal pole or bar? The feeder has to be high enough off the ground and away from any launching platforms so the squirrels can't jump up to the feeder and the grease shouldn't be anything toxic (i.e. axle grease) but adhear to the pole so as to not require multiple coatings throughout the time you want white spatter spots on your car.
I have tried similar materials and nope, the squirrels will find a way to climb. In a subsequent trial, an 11 foot long wire was hung from a tree limb about 20 foot off the ground, (whoa!), a 10 foot long 1/2" PVC pipe pushed up and over the wire, (so birds would not fly into the wire), and birdfeeder attached, (same model as in this video). This cut down a lot on the sunflower seed usage but there were days when the seeds just flew out of there. Sometimes the squirrels would jump from the top of a pickup maybe 6 ft away and 4 ft lower and make it to the feeder. Wow. So I moved the truck. Sunflower stock lasted a lot longer for about 2 weeks.....The squirrel(s) climbed up the tree, down the 1/2" PVC pipe to the feeder, then would hand over its edge so as not to close the feeder door with its weight. Following its snack, it just jumped down onto the ground 10 ft below. The squirrels finally took down the feeder which has yet to return to service. A peanut feed the same as in the background was a hung similarly from a tree limb just a few feet away from the sunflower seed feeder. A squirrel did the same scaling feat on this but was pretty much unsuccessful getting enough peanuts to make the work worthwhile.
@@somaday2595 I have an aluminum 10" diameter pipe attached to my 10 foot piece of galvanized conduit, that I have my squirrel proof feeder (guess what?) it's not squirrel proof. I have the pipe 7 feet above the ground (I painted it black) Tree rats can only jump average of 10 feet, but their front legs can't grasp and hang onto something that is slick and too big around to hug. Next, they will try from the garage roof or the bird bath, nope doesn't work either. Every now and then a new rat will try climbing up the pole and 5 seconds later come sliding back down because he couldn't see the feeder anymore.
@@somaday2595 My mom had a problem with the squirrels (on in particular) raiding her bird feeders. She tried a variety of methods to thwart those beggars, the last of which was to hang the feeders using a very fine, but multiple strand twisted wire that was a bitch to cut with wire cutters ..... but when the squirrels couldn't get past the extra wide cowl she mounted above the feeders, the most persistent of the squirrels just gnawed through the wire dropping the feeder. Mom went back to the hardware store with the rest of the spool of wire ..... and they gave her back her money.
@@somaday2595 Yep! She said she had a new respect for Notch. The squirrel was a regular at the bird feeders, had a notch in one ear, hence the name, must have been a scrapper 'cause many times when it came to raid the bird feeders, it would have fresh facial wounds and/or bits of fur missing.
What is the bird feeder with the cage around it. The ones I’ve seen let the squirrels inside according to reviews. I’d like to get what you have. Sorry for such a Fiume question
I live in Australia. Our native possums will eat most things and any chillies I have grown. I considered spraying pepper juice over my mangoes as the possums will completely destroy a whole crop on the mango tree over the course of a week. I found one possum sitting on the ground feasting on my habanero chillies and seeming to enjoy meal but I did try it on the mangoes just to see . it was a failure.
Let me get this straight....you actually observed an expression on the squirrels face? Did you also see a hookah-smoking caterpillar and a Alice when she's 10 feet tall?
Thank you so much! I watched your video and just ordered a bag. I love feeding the birds, but those furry rats with tails are utterly annoying. This should do the trick!
This is not so much a matter of birds lacking taste or smell (some birds have a great sense of smell), but about the pepper plants using a pretty harmless chemical defence for their seeds to select a particular group of seed distributors. Capsicum is the active ingredient in hot peppers that makes them hot. It chemically reacts with mammalian nerve cells to get them to send the same signal that they send when the cells are overheated, but without doing any actual damage in the process. That is why eating hot peppers always feels like heat and not some other pain, like chewing broken glass (highly not recommended). The nerve cells in birds and reptiles use a slightly different mechanism to detect being on fire and so are effectively immune to the effects of capsicum. From the plant's point of view, it wants its seeds distributed by birds, who have a fast digestion system to keep the weight down, not by mammals who tend to have a more aggressive digestion which will break down the seeds, so the plants try to scare away the annoying mammals with a chemical defence for the next generation.
Specifically, birds lack the TRPV1 receptor humans have for detecting the chemically induced signal of heat from capsaicin in peppers.
Capsicum is also a pest repellant for insects too
Thanks for the information.
How do you even know that level of detail? That's an amazing breakdown of what's happening here and why this works so well.
wait till he needs to take a toilet break! He's going to find out all about it then!!
This strategy works on humans as well. Back in the day I had a extreme moocher for a roommate that would eat all of my food. So I started getting spicy food. I happen to like it much hotter than normal. 1 bite of my spanish rice and that was all she wrote. I could then have hot wings any time I wanted and some good chili or creole shrimp.
I had some college buddies who started ordering ham on their pizzas for similar reasons.
That is hilarious! Did your roommate ever say anything, or did they just quietly stop eating your food?
I started buying weird stuff like head cheese and pickled pigs feet.
Jokes on you I like spicy food
Good work.
My birds eat with my squirrels. They are like a mixed family and it is beautiful to see them all get along. My Blue Jays are the hawk police for the squirrels, crows, mourning doves, cardinals, starlings, sparrows and ducks. They are literally one big happy group of furry & feathered friends! My regulars have been here the last 2 years and have learned to eat side by side.
When you buy as much bird and critter food as I do, they learn to get along. These guys eat better than I do...and they bring me such joy.
I’m in the same boat. I spend roughly $170 every 3 months on bird seed plus bag after bag of peanuts for my squirrels! Like you said - they eat better than me !
I love to feed the squirrels and birds. I would never use hot pepper.
Me to... i don't mind them at all... i actually put corn 🌽 and peanuts 🥜 with the shell on out for them also. They all eat together. You must have some mean squirrels... lol
I almost thought you were talking about the area I live in.😁One of my neighbors has a youtube channel showing all sorts of animals. He is keeping us up to date on a pregnant doe he has named Nicky, we should get to see some fawns soon.😊
Same in our back yard
Ooh yeah baby, this was epic!
Literally easy solution, all birdseed should be this type, no other non hot pepper should be even available.
Interesting. We tried to keep the chipmunks from eating all our crocuses as soon as they came up every year by sprinkling them with cayenne pepper. They were eaten more quickly than usual. So then we realized they were Mexican chipmunks.
😂
BWAHAHAHA
If you were ever told deers don't eat geraniums, it's a lie! Mine do. After about $40 worth of geraniums got gobbled up, I've sprinkled them with cayenne pepper. I'm still not sure it'll work - need more time to assess the result.
😂
It's nice seeing someone feed birds. It was my old landlord's pass time, we'd sit and watch them flock by
Thanks for recording this. Cool to see, learned something new.
I wonder if the squirrel is going to feel it later like I do when I eat spicy food?🤔 😹
Hope there was water nearby. That's what I look for when I eat anything spicy.
🐿💩 🔥 🚒
Squirrels can't fart, so they could be killed by intestinal gas. It's another meaning for "busting a gut".
He should leave some preparation H out
He started his own fart channel
🐿💨💥
This is a great vid appreciate this gunna show this to my grandma she always has problems with squirrels eating bird seed thanks 👍
Thank you so much for this!! Our battle with squirrels has taken so many forms. But this one is truly worth trying. We have tried EVERYTHING. Thank you!!
We tried a pellet gun
@@scottH18370 How'd that go? We are considering that but we are in such close proximity to our neighbor. Its next to try though.
What about trapping them with a humane trap you can get a rural king or any farm store and relocate them?
I assume you may not have a setting where you can use a pole with squirrel baffle placed at least 5ft high & the pole at least 15ft away from spots they can jump on it … we live on a very wooded lot with many squirrels and ours cannot get to the feeders on our pole due to proper placement and the baffling
@@birdgirl1516 Thank you for your reply. We have been trapping them but they are far too over populated here on this dry riverbed we live on that it doesnt make a dent in our infestation. Plus we dont want to relocate the problem to someone/something else. And frankly we dont have the time. We also dont have the finances to get materials or the where with how to build or put in poles on property we are renting in a crowded living community. Thanks for the advice tho.
Didn't work on my tree rats😢
When I first got my bird table the food was being wolfed down until I noticed it was squirrels leaving nothing for my birds. I started using extra hot chilli powder and caught it basically it stood bolt upright and shot off I’ve never seen them since now my birds can enjoy the food that was intended for them it really works 😉
Really ? The squirrel here, just take the whole suet cake and chase the birds from the feeders..hot pepper, who knew ??!
@@mitzylynn7958 I put suet balls in squirrel protective hangers they can’t get at them I only mix extra hot chilli powder in with the bird seed on the bird table it also keeps the rats away too ! It definitely works for me 😊
Squirrels want to eat too. I feed the squirrels also and they don't bother my bird feeders
@@dorenemayer1168 mine just eat everything just couldn’t afford to feed them as well.
@@dorenemayer1168 I feed them also, critter mix, but only put cayenne pepper in my black oil sunflower seed feeders, so that it keeps the squirrels off, finches, titmice, chickadees, and nuthatches eat their food with out the squirrels raiding it.
We use red pepper flakes mixed into chicken feed to encourage our hens to lay more eggs. It actually works. My hens definitely have a sense of taste because they nibble on certain foods then move on if they don’t like it. Same goes with the momma hen when she samples the food before encouraging her chicks to eat it. Roos do the same for the whole flock.
Red pepper flakes make the yolk a very deep yellow, almost orange. They look awesome
Not eating some of the food might have to do with the season/time of year like during the molt. When I use to keep Birmingham Roller pigeons they would pick through the feed and only eat what their body needed at that time. For example during summer they wouldn’t touch the corn but would eat it in winter so I’m assuming to put on weight for the winter. There was I time of the year(I don’t remember exactly) that they wouldn’t touch the peas and other times it would be the wheat or milo. During the breeding season they would finish the grit and oyster shells but wouldn’t touch the oyster shells once breeding season was over.
I will have to do this and see how my chickens take to it.
Chickens already lay such an unnatural amount of eggs, putting them at a high risk of health problems.
I got a idea feed both and be nice
Amazing! I like that you put some seeds on the ground for the squirrels.
As long as I do that, they leave my feeders alone.
Both this video and the comments on it were very useful. Thank you.
thanks for the review, just bought my first bird feeders and I heard about the hot spicy bird food so I might have to see if we need that as well after we set up our bird feeding station
A bit of correction here:
A lot of birds do have a decent sense of smell, some (like vultures) even have a very impressive one.
But smell and taste aren't the issue here. The spiciness of hot peppers has nothing to do with either sense.
Capsaicin triggers a false alarm in an entirely different receptor...the one responsible for detecting high temperatures. And this receptor is what birds lack and what makes them immune to capsaicin's effects.
The reason we think of the effects of capsaicin as being a matter of taste or smell is that the areas we use for those two senses are also densely packed with those heat receptors.
My question is do they have the digestive tract for eating such spicy foodstuffs. Like they still have stomachs spicy food can put ulcers in peoples stomach even if they don’t eat spicy foods all the time.
@@ok.ok.5735 Yes. The reason peppers are spicy is precisely that birds can eat them without trouble.
Wild capsicum seeds are spread by birds. The plants evolved capsaicin to ensure that only birds (whose digestive tracts the seeds would pass through unharmed) would touch their fruit and mammals (who would be a lot less effective at spreading the seeds around and who have digestive tracts that could destroy the seeds) get repelled. It is very specifically an anti-mammal chemical weapon.
Of course what the plant didn't expect was some masochistic primates actually learning to _enjoy_ the pain and eat the fruit _because_ of it...
@@GaldirEonai interesting! Glad birds are good.
I fell asleep 😴
@@sxs4l245 Bingo.
My father said "Those squirrels don't like that Cajun bird seed." when he heard about this years ago. Happy Father's Day everyone. Miss you Dad!
I miss my dad as well.
sorry for your loss man, your dad seemed like a nice guy
My mom taught me this as a kid. We always mixed cayenne pepper powder into the bird seed and the squirrels largely left it alone.
Was thinking that would be much cheaper to mix together than to buy pre mixed.
@@jimthvac100 Yeah, this "hot pepper bird seed" is one of the biggest gimmicks I've seen in a long time. Mix a bottle of hot sauce (or some cayenne powder) into a bag of regular seed you get from your fav big box store. It's virtually guaranteed to be much cheaper. I don't have that problem because, in my neighborhood, just about every house has _at least_ one tree that bares nuts.
We tried that with sriracha hot pepper sauce, it worked at first but then now we keep getting squirrels come asking for more hot pepper sauce whenever they eat pizza. The birds are now spitting out little fireballs out of their rear ends.
@@jimthvac100 trouble with ground pepper is it settles. A big jar of red pepper flakes/seeds works better.
@@johnlivingston9217 🤣
Love this idea. I found a 4 inch pipe around the feeder pole where the squirrels can't grab onto to climb up and high enough they can't jump up on it works well too. Thanks for sharing.
Just ordered the hot pepper bird seed to keep the squirrels away! Thanks so much for the information!
Try mixing the spicy seed with regular seed so you get a little more out of the price. Eventually they will get smart enough to pick out the good seeds however
This is such a insane idea about the hot pepper seeds, when he said wear gloves to dispense the seeds.
I thought why torture animals?
@@carollen5601 do you complain to stinging nettles for torturing legs?
@@carollen5601 what torture??? It's safe for the birds just like Wasabi is safe for persons with that strong palet!
@@carollen5601 squirrels seemed fine in the video. Just keeps them away.
Glad to know they have food on the ground as well 💚
How neat the different species of birds eating together
I make my own spray from a pultice of ghost peppers and steep it in boiling water [ one cup ] and spray it on the sunflower seeds on a barrel. Then the next day watch the fire works
Fireworks 😂😂
Pepper to water ratio? How do you grind peppers.
It may not taste hot for the birds on the way in but how about the way out? These birds may be burning the paint off every car in your neighborhood.
😅😅😅😅😅😅
Bah hahahaha!!😂😂😂
Lol
I like watching squirrels. Their tale has a mind of it's own
My squirrels LOVED the Coles hot pepper bird seed!!! They ate it so fast & came back for more. Even broke my bird feeder getting to it. So up here in Western New York, the squirrels love hot food!!! Haha!
LOL I knew there would be some that love spicy food...I Wonder How a Bear would Respond to it?
@@Shivaho If a bear can dive into a bee's nest for honey, I bet they'd love it!! LOL
Deer in Fl love hot sauce too
I heard New Yorkers are tough, LOL! Even the rodents! 😂
@@LeaLogsdon Now the squirrels wait for me on the porch to get their peanuts. I've been bribing them with peanuts & walnuts to stay away from the feeders. Haha! Nope, they just store those away, & still eat the Coles.
Great video! The squirrel made the same face I do when I eat hot peppers! I opted to use Cole's hot pepper liquid to treat the sunflower chips and hearts and my waste-free bird seed. The squirrels hate it and I think it's more economical than buying the pre-treated food. And yes, gloves and goggles are essential for mixing the liquid and the seed. I used about 5 tbsp per 6 lbs of seed.
Thank You. You answered my question before I could ask it.
After looking at prices of pretreated bird seed I think I like your option of treating my own seeds. Thanks for sharing your use of the liquid & amounts. 😊❤️
Good advice
It's not that they hate it their mouth is on fire just like yours or mine would be. Difference is you and I can go to the fridge and grab a cold drink of water and problem solved not the poor squirrel good chance it's going to die if it's summertime a miserable slow painful death because he didn't want him getting something to eat from his bird feeder. I hope one day I run into this guy so maybe I can strap him into a chair and feed him ghost peppers and put a bottle of water just out of his reach see how he f****** likes it. Squirrels are extremely intelligent that's how they can figure out how to get into the bird feeder in the first place they should get some food just for being smart enough to figure it out. They do make bird feeders the squirrels cannot get in they cost a little bit more but it's what you do if you have any kind of humanity in you. Or you can do what this guy does and just be a complete prick And feed them hot peppers
What about chili powder?
I think a DIY version could be cooked up pretty easily. Thanks for the video!
Ok. How?
Great video! I don't usually have a problem with squirrels, but will pass this on to my friends who have lots of squirrels in their gardens and feeders. Thanks.
As a professional flower farmer, I've never understood why people don't want squirrels in their gardens. They're God's little gardeners. I've learned so much by watching them plant seeds, watching those seeds turn into little flags all over my farm to let them know where their food sources are. They eat the grubs from the ground, and are so entertaining to watch flying through the old ash trees that provide a break from the wind around our farm. I entice them to my farm, I don't worry about whether they get the food, or the birds, or racoons, or whatever. In 20 years of farming, I've created a quite lovely ecosystem where God's creatures live and move and breathe. They bring me joy. I hope others find that simple joy in their lives.
That’s nice but birds are scared of them and squirrels are greedy, they eat and eat until there’s nothing left for birds. They also raid bird nests and get in my attic and walls. I think that is enough of reasons for me😀
I put out sunflower and other nuts on the ground for the squirrels and put the tiny seed in my feeder. The squirrels will leave that alone as long as they have other (easier) food. But they will shake out the contents of the whole feeder for a few sunflower seeds when there is cracked corn or less desire food within easy reach. Just have to find what works for you. I could see where hungry squirrels might build a tolerance to spicy just like we do. I also leave out a bowl of fresh water. This keeps them from snacking on garden vegetables in the summer when thirsty (read somewhere that was a big reason they do it and why it’s just a small bite missing but it dried out quick, especially tomatoes), and the birds like the water a lot too.
I really dont mean to sound to harsh but these little creatures have caused alot of havoc in my neighborhood. They knock over small flower pots,dig holes in the yard,dig in the mulch along the concrete driveway spreading the mulch all over it. They have scratched and chewed their way into attics to have babies,AND have crawled up into warm engine compartments chewing through wiring causing $300 to 400 dollars worth of damage to autos. I wish I could entice them to come to your flower farm.
We have a serious flea infestation because of our squirrels in the yard, they’re destructive and horrible
I just planted corn in my garden, and overnight some stupid squirells or some other rodents dag up 3 of my corns. NOw I covered my garden in hot pepper and anti-squrell spikes.
Thanks Scott had me smiling as I watched this video and the effect it had on the squirrels ... I’ve been chasing them out with a fishing pole which does work well while I feed the birds that come to my yard especially if it touches them
while they escape they won’t come back ( that day ) I was wondering though out the video how much would this cost but near the end you gave a clue that it’s EXPENSIVE I may purchase one bag but I’m wondering if this is something that could be baked into regular bird food ?
Just dust ordinary powdered red chile pepper on your seed before you serve it. You can buy pounds of the stuff for very little cost and a teaspoon or two for a pound or two of seed will usually be plenty enough. The hotter and finer-ground the powder, the more effective it will be.
Just don't confuse Chili Power with an "i" with Chile Powder with an "e," as the former is usually weaker peppers mixed with garlic, cumin, and other ingredients that you don't want involved.
My dad used to run the shop for a citrus coop here in Fl years ago. Anyway when the orange blossums would bloom certain groves would have a ton of deer, which would eat said blossums as high as they could reach which led to less fruit for the grove owner. Well some how this company that made a product called hot sauce got involved. Anyhow i remember hearing that they said to use the speed sprayer which is what they would spray the trees for herbicide/pesticide. So they sprayed one orange grove with the hot sauce to see if it was gonna work like the sales rep said. My dad said when the head of production took the manager to see what the results were. The deer ate EVERYTHING the hot sauce touched that they could reach including bark off of the trees, lets just say that order was canceled...
I guess deer love that spicy taste. 😂 Who knew?
Wow!
I was hoping to hear the deer had an aversion. Lol
@@The444traveler Me too.
I wonder if you could do like I do to my plants to keep deer from eating them. I mix Tabasco sauce with water and spray it on the leaves. I would think you could do that with the bird seed too. Worth a try.
A product called liguid fence works for keeping anything from eating anything, its made from fermented eggs and garlic. Couple sprays of trees and area, its off the menu. When you smell it you will know why it works. Could problem ferment up some homemade type, but this stuff works
@@brianshook3289 Actually I have a friend who made her own and it stunk to high heaven but it worked with the deer!
@@lyndabuchholz1216 that even kept squirrels and birds off my ripe cherries, and goats off eating the bark off my fruit trees, good stuff
This is humane-it is the prevention of ingesting something, instead of getting an animal to eat something that would be painful to the animal.
Please don’t spray it on plants: capsaicin is toxic to bees and other beneficial insects.
nice thanx for sharing thats interesting i will get some.. ya those varmints r eating up all the seed it gets expensive
I think I have Mexican squirrels, as peppered seeds don't stop them. I had one of the cage feeders like on here. The young squirrels and red squirrels could get into it easily. Eventually the plastic part on the top was chewed through so the feeder can't be hung up any more.
Yeah, it's funny because I use pepper seeds to deter my squirrels and it mostly works, but there was this one squirrel who seemed immune to them. He would chow down and not have any reaction to the heat! We called him teriyaki squirrel.
I was thinking the same thing. There was a story my grandfather told me.when he was a kid his father rented a house to an American family, will his father was having trouble keeping the dog from his chicken coop to eat the eggs. The American father suggested putting hot sauce in a couple of eggs to stop the dog. Well that probably would have worked if the dog hadn’t live on Mexican table scraps.
Lol. As a mexican i can confirm we love spicy foods. The more spicy it is the better lol.
LOL I just said the same thing today… two Mexican squirrels in NY 😭. Well, I guess if it keeps two out of the at least ten we have in the yard regularly, that’s at least some help 😕.
I use a small metal slinky to keep squirrels off of my shepherd hook feeders. Works great!
Raccoons don’t care about slinkies. They will pull over the whole pole. Of course, if all you have is squirrels - count your blessings!
@@birbluv9595 Possums too.
I have tried using a Slinky but can figure out how to get it on a double shepherds hook.
I know I'm a lil late with this one, but even tho the birds can't really taste or smell it, does the spiciness of the pepper in the bird seed affect their stomach negatively like ours if they eat too much?
i dont believe so. i dont remember what science youtube channel i saw it on, but it said in so many words that basically "peppers developed their spice defense in order to keep mammals from crushing and destroying their seeds, while birds would eat the seeds in a less destructive way and 'disperse' them more far and wide"
The receptors that capsaicin binds to in mammals are lacking in birds and reptiles. They can't feel it.
no, their bodies to not perceive the capcaisin.
I made some bread for myself a couple weeks ago that had a lot of my dehydrated habanero and jalapeno pepper skins mixed into it. Usually i give the heel of breads to the squirrels to nibble on. When I gave this spicy bread, later I happened to spot the male eating it and I seen him running frantically on the tree trying to lick at the new spring leaves of this cottonwood in my yard. In fact he even was wiping his face with his paws.
The odd thing about it all is he is still eating what I put out for him. I made several loaves.
I guess that squirrel loves spicy food too.
@@secretagent4610some don't mind chili,I've had to result to physical barriers.
squirrels and dumplings....yum, yum...good stuff
Very informative video thank you! Great words of wisdom regarding handle with gloves and caution.
That’s amazing because birds are not affected by capsaicin! Never thought of that!
Yea, birds lack the pain receptor that mammals have that allows us to detect it.
I tried that stuff in my bird feeder, without other alternatives, and the squirrels didn't seem to mind that at all they just powered through it and it apparently drove the birds away because I couldn't attract any birds back until I put out a New bird feeder with normal food.
Anyway I found a pole tall enough for my bird feeders that all I have to do is put a baffle right below the feeders and the squirrels don't seem to be able to get past it.
I had the same experience with a spicy bird seed my grandmother purchased. It didn't seem to bother the squirrels, raccoons, or deer at all. So naturally, I tried eating some. It turns out, some of this stuff that is advertised as spicy just isn't spicy at all.
Glad to see you found a pole feeder that baffles the squirrels. We tried one and they weren’t baffled at all; they knew exactly how to get around it!
Give them a dish of antifreeze to drink. They wont ever return.
So, he filled a bucket with the birdseed, only to fill another bucket with the birdseed....
He put away in the first bucket to cover with the lid. He doesn't leave the seeds in the plastic , some other animals might bite into the plastic, and a lot of other very smart reasons. He takes much less outside to the feeder instead to take a heavy bucket! Smart guy!!!
Getting some tomorrow! It's worth it! Thanks!
Going to give this a try, looks good, I've seen this concept before, but going to try again
Thanks for showing me this!! I haven't been able to have bird feeders in my yard because of all the squirrels, but I'm going to try this stuff next!
Try mixing black pepper with regular bird seed! I once had a mouse problem, so I sprinkled black pepper on the floor where I saw some mice and after a while I saw the mice running away like crazy.
Any follow-ups on this? What part of the country are you in? I snagged some of the "Flaming Squirrel Seed Sauce" of theirs and had limited success with it for 2-3 days after which they got a taste for it or something and were getting into the feeders as badly if not moreso than before. I've read reviews by other people in TX who have had similarly temporary results.
My theory is that the squirrels migrated from Mexico. My squirrels in Colorado like the hot pepper birdseed.
I like this idea. Thank you for sharing. I do have another question. As we know as mammals if we eat spicy food it effects our digestive tract. Does the hot pepper effect a birds digestion?
This is a great idea. I have squirrels, but also have quite a few raccoons that devour my seeds as well. Do you think or do you know if hot pepper bird seeds stop the raccoons as well?
I need to try this cause the squirrels are eating me out of house & home 😂 as the saying goes & the birds are not to happy about it either. I’ve been wanting to try hot pepper bird seed but I felt bad for the squirrels 🐿. I’ve been feeding them for almost 25 yrs. think they’ll get mad at me, I live on a fixed income since I had to retire (health). I’ll still put nuts out but gotta do something to curb their appetite. How can such a little creature eat so much? 😊❤️ Have a lovely day.
Great video. We tried Brown's no squirrel feed. It has pepper seed and flakes. The squirrels don't enjoy it but they will eat the seed if they don't have anything else offered. I will have to check out the Cole's Hot Meats and see how they like that.
I have used it, but it has gotten so freaking expensive that now I serve regular sunflower seed only in those caged tube feeders. Supposedly squirrels don’t like the bitterness of safflower seed, so I have put that in platform/tray feeders, but if a squirrel is hungry enough it will eat the safflower seed regardless.
Sounds like a great choice for bear/predators repellent or maybe mosquito repellent ; although you definitely wouldn't want to spray directly on your skin or in a closed off space for that matter .
How about pepper spray or better Anti Bear Spray against Predators very simple
Where is the links?? I want to purchase some of these foods!! Thanks for your help!!
Ace hardware. Or any store's that sales bird seed.
@@sherrykendrick1765 thank you Sherry, appreciate that...I went to Ace today just came home, they at this store does not carry hot seeds!! They do at other stores...Thanks again!!!
I live next to the woods near a large creek in WA state. I have 2 suet feeders, and to keep the squirrels away, I sprinkle them with hot chili powder. After the birds eat the suet cakes down below the chili powder, I see squirrels come back and have to add more chili, but it works!
I`ve eaten many different types of hot peppers from around the World and they are ALWAYS hot going in AND hot going out! Makes me wonder how birds handle the going out part! lol
This video was incorrect in the explanation of why birds are immune to hot foods. Many birds have great senses of smell and taste. What they lack is the specific receptor that responds to capsaicin. So, they don't experience _any_ burning sensation at all, going in _or_ coming out.
They may not have a sense of taste and smell, but the digestive tract and the morning after could be interesting: D
@James Cheddar not all
@James Cheddar not all birds do that.
One off the top of my head is penguins
They do not like real hot stuff
Birds certainly do have a sense of taste. My parrot would throw food out of her dish she didn't like, and even with pellets that had different flavors mixed in, there was certainly one flavor pellet she would toss out, because she didn't like that particular flavor.
Yes, many times smell enhances the flavors we humans and other animals enjoy.
No one gives a crap. Your Parrot can eat peppers just fine.
@@marblemadness8870 🤣🤣🤣
@@marblemadness8870 People who likes birds give a crap. Hurting a bird is cruel, especially if you do it on purpose.
Settle down angry birds score one for the birds
I know from personal experience (don’t ask) that sea gulls have deep regrets after eating Tabasco sauce
Nice shirt. The valley is one of Ohio's gems. A bunch of cool places. I'm from Canton but have been in Maine since 95. Nice video.
Great shirt.. your neighbor to the south in canton . Great video thanks
I think it’s a great idea to mix regular birds seeds with hot peppers seeds in a bucket for an while , probably works that way too, instead paying a lot of money on the one that’s already mix, what do you think?
Great channel and video. Thanks for sharing your tips. I love squirrels and feed them peanuts and corn from our local feed store, but I'm trying desperately to keep them from eating my beautiful sunflowers. Thanks for the tip. I'll give this a try since the birds aren't bothered by it.
Interesting. Question: Even though the birds have no sense of smell or taste - it doesn't upset their internal organs (stomach, etc)?
If not, that is pretty cool. Now we dont have to build these highly scientific squirrel deterrent bird feeders.
Reading comments, Nobody seems to know if it affects the birds digestion/internal organs after a period of time. Sure you immediately get rid of the squirrels, but are you also doing long term harm to the birds that eat this stuff.
I had a garden where I grew relatively hot peppers (20,000-30,000 scovils) . Once I was drying some seeds on my kitchen counter and my cockatiel saw them and started eating them. She loved them, more than her food. She ate them for about 5 years before she died, probably of old age since she was about 14 years old. Most of my hot pepper seeds were saved for her when I saw how much she liked them.
Birds have some kinda battery acid stomach they should be alright but you never know
Birds can smell/taste, but different animals utilize different taste receptors. Some may be muted or missing entirely.
Still, they do have eyes. The mouth isn't the only thing that chili dust can burn.
Tropical birds love dried cayenne peppers. Not a problem at all. I guess all birds are simular enough around the world to have no problem.
Came to comment exactly for this. Figured there would be a difference between eating a hot pepper seed, as opposed to eating a seed that's dusted in hot pepper powder. Either way, Squirrels are birds too. -____-
Very cool solution, Scott! Good job.
The cost for special seeds would deter me as well as the squirrels. I have a pole mounted feeder that is totally squirrel proof. I put a squirrel baffle on the pole that works perfectly with small red squirrels,but large grey squirrels could hop right over it by gripping the skinny feeder pole with their hind paws. I added an 18" length of leftover 1-1/2" PVC pipe below the baffle,and that did the trick. I have had lots of large squirrels try to defeat this setup,but they are totally stumped by it.
I'd love to see a picture of this baffle and PVC pipe. Maybe you could explain it one more time differently that might help
Thank you! Finally, someone who is using compassion and ingenuity. Your solution is by far, the intelligent way to solve the squirrel issue WITHOUT causing harm to a living species and their babies. Squirrels are part of the ecosystem and play an important role in nature. It is not the squirrels' fault that their instinctual habits like....gee, I don't know, say ...gathering food outdoors, in their natural environment... leads them to convienent free food. I find the use capsaicin as a deterrent unnecessarily cruel and harmful. Out smarting them, demonstrates a much higher intellect and is the path of a true nature lover and steward of the planet. How can people proclaim to be outdoor enthusiasts but... want to alter, modify and select only the key factors in a "natural environment" in order to suit their personal "outdoor experience"? I am pretty confident the birds have had a natural balance with squirrels, long before humans came into their natural order of things. Heck,
if there are free seeds...they will come...and so will the other woodland inhabitants that find free food quite tasty🐇🐿🦔🐀🐁🦦🦨🐜🐝🐛🦗🦌🦝🐻....🧸...🤣.... the spicy seeds do fall to the ground. What other critters are being harmed by capsaicin burning of the esophageal, stomach, eyes, paws, etc...?
@@jfwm people like you would have a pet chicken and starve first before they would kill it to have something to eat. You put animals on the same level as people you disgust me good morning you give the finger to God for he put us Above All Creatures and they're there for our use not the other way around.
@@jfwm With my approach,the squirrels DO dine on the birdseed,as the birds are real slobs,and seed gets thrown to the ground as they rummage through the seed supply,looking for the kinds of seed they like. My position is that what is in the feeder is strictly for the birds,and anything that falls on the ground belongs to the flightless creatures.
You are a special human being, ❤
If birds don’t taste or smell the peppers do the peppers hurt the birds digestive system at all?
Hi Scott, thanks so much for this video. I'm curious as to whether these hot seeds negatively effect the bird's digestion in anyway?
@Bộ trưởng Bộ Ăn chơi Thank you! That's fascinating!
This is cruelty to animals and birds.
@@plume1639 No it isn't. Squirrels wreck bird-feeding situations. They can go elsewhere.
Doesn’t affect my hens they cannot taste heat
@@sapiophile545 Nope-they are GOD’s creatures and are just looking to eat like the rest of us. You want to treat them otherwise, then that’s on you and your karma.
glad i found this now i can get rid of some squirrels without blowing em up. just noticed the shirt. im originally from Cuyahoga Falls.
Birdwatching is one of the best hobbies, you’re out using observational skills to search for birds, alertness, you’re out in nature, etc, and requires skill to photograph them, all good for the brain.
I guess the squirrels around me are made a bit tougher, because I've tried a few different brands of hot pepper seed and they didn't seem to mind one bit when eating the stuff. The same thing with the deer that show up too. The only visitor at my feeders that didn't appear to like it was the raccoons.
Wow, you have super squirrels!
I was mixing the hot seed with regular seed to make it last longer. Some squirells would sort through the seeds to get the not hot seeds. I think I made my.feeder more interestimg for squirrels. I use the hot pepper liquid also. It burns your nose and eyes. I wondered if it might be irritating to hatchlings or nestlings. I didn't want to experiment with my finches. Not sure that stuff is ok for pet birds.
@@HouseofSquawk I bought some hot seed but I just didn't feel right using it. Just because birds can't taste it it can't bee too good for their insides and digesting it and regurgitating it to baby birds made me feel nervous about using it. Plus I rubbed my eyes after handling and seriously thought I might have to go to hospital. It took quite some time flushing my eyes with cold water to recover. I became used to the fact the squirrels were going to eat some food anyway. I hand my feeders and suet cakes and cages from a clothes line it is very effective. I worry that squirrels and birds might get hot food in their eyes. If they did they would suffer. It's not worth the risk.
You are bless 🙌
@@marathongman9281 You are very silly. Your body responds to the chemical, capsaicin, in peppers. Birds do not perceive the capsaicin in any way. It has nothing to do with their age and everything to do with them being birds. If the squirrels still eat it, use hotter peppers.
Birds definitely DO have keen senses of smell and taste. The difference is that they don't have the receptors responsible for sensing the heat of capsaicin. So birds are biologically unable to feel it taste the effects of capsaicin-the chemical that makes peppers feel “hot”. Furthermore, birds don't digest the seeds either, but they do digest the pulp around each seed so that when they poop it out, it has an even better chance to germinate. Birds can travel many miles before the drop the seeds and are perfect for spreading the spicy plant's offspring far and wide.
To add to this, our digestive system will destroy the seed so the burning is meant to deter us from eating them.
@@AdyKing Exactly!
Quick question: to which "spicy plant" are you referring? The sunflower seeds? You do realize that sunflower seeds (or safflower, flax, etc.) treated with capsaicin will not result in spicy flowers, right? 🤔
Just checking, LOL! 😉
@@LeaLogsdon 🤣🤣🤣
@SweeneyGod Oh thank goodness! You're emoji tells me that, A, you knew I was joking, and, B, even if I wasn't, you didn't think birds were dropping little firebombs all over the globe. 😂
...because that's the image you put in MY head, LOL! Little fires popping up everywhere birds fly overhead. Plop, BOOM, whoosshh! 🔥🦅🔥 😂🤣
A squirrel was destroying my wooden suet feeder, but now that I use hot pepper suet, he doesn't touch it. The problem is that the woodpeckers aren't as fond of it as the regular suet, so that's been a bummer.
Our woodpeckers eat the hot suet cakes that we buy.
I put seed in the feeders for the birds and peanuts on the ground for the squirrels and blue jays, everybody comes has a meal and everybody's happy
Wow mr magu I'm impressed with your work , keep going mr magu
Maybe if you mix it half-and-half with spicy seed and regular seed, it wouldn't cost as much.
I am worried that the cayenne pepper will get in the birds' eyes . I have peppermint plants around the feeding area and I put artificial flowers in those planters and spray them with peppermint oil as well .
You watch way to much animals rights stuff and Disney
I use the liquid stuff(Cole’s Flaming Hot Squirrel Sauce (that is NOT made from squirrels!)) on my seed, and have been using it for years. The trick is to use ENOUGH of the sauce to coat the seed. It works on not just squirrels, but rats, as well.
is it made from squirrel
@@fatleo 🤣
I have 2 determined squirrels that still eat Cole's sauce treated seeds. I've experimented with using MUCH more than recommended. I even used it with pre-treated spicy seeds! They still eat it and rub their mouths in my potted plants soil. I had to put used coffee grounds on top of the soil to stop that behavior. They can only stand so much so it helps but they hang around the feeders alot keeping the birds away.
Just curious, how does that not affect the birds too ?
Cruel! Why would you do that?
That's great, didn't know they sold that, they don't in my region anyways. I use chilli powder in my seed.
Love it! I have too many squirrels, what about chipmunks?
Yep, works on all mammals.
I noticed that first tree rat had a big set of nad's and he was dragging them across the hot pepper seeds!!!! 😂 I wonder if he had a case of hot rock's later???? Hahahaha...... One could only hope!
Ha ha ha...Good Lord...I laughed so hard I almost puked when I read your post...thanks.
Wishing pain on animals is sick and it’s not funny
The squirrels would eat my chicken's food. So one day I dusted the exposed area with ground cayenne and watched as a squirrel quickly ran up, took one bite, literally jumped in the air and did a backflip, and tore out of there like a raped ape as soon as his feet touched the groun again, never to be seen again!
If you don't want squirrels or omnivorous birds (that could potentially hunt other birds, like grackles, etc), use safflower seed. Songbirds love it while squirrels and omnivorous birds don't like it due to its bitter taste. Don't use a mix; just straight safflower seed. Works a treat. Cheers.
I use a mix with safflower seeds, its the last thing to go. I give hot pepper seeds when i have some, birds but mainly squirrels eat them in winter. My squirrels disappear as soon as they can see the forest ground in spring until snow covers again
I have tried this, hot sauce, greasing the poles with Vaseline, Vicks vapor rub and etc. Noting works. This hot red pepper seed is $25.00 for 5 lbs.
You could try to make the hot pepper seed yourself by using oil and hot pepper.
I like it even though it costs more . That was a nice discovery though!!!
My efforts to deter the squirrels - with cayenne pepper and habanero sauce - backfired. The birds made themselves scarce, while the squirrels were not deterred at all.
are you from australia?
I had the same experience here...in NY.
No, I live in the United States, by Akron, Ohio.
Someone may have previously posted what I am going to say. But here goes. The seed is expensive so there is a cheaper alternative. Cayenne powder is washed away by the rain. So get off to a Chinese grocery and buy a bottle of red oil. Soak a large measure of regular seed. in that oil. Pat it dry and then use it in the bird feeder. Ir will last longer and work as well as the commercial hot seed.
Red oil is an infusion of oil in very hot chilis. (e.g. habanero chilies.) It is cheap and works a treat. Red oil is used in oriental and especially Szechuan and Hunan cooking. Go for it.
Learn something new every day...I just learned that most birds can't 'feel the heat' of spicy foods and squirrels can(chipchunks too I would guess...).
I have been using it for years 👍
So should one pour hot sauce on regular feed if they have a bunch of it ? Although I wouldn't say it is waterproof like hot pepper seeds !
Simple way to get squirrels to leave your bird feeders alone, just put some critter mix down on the opposite side of the yard your feeders are in. Make sure you give them some avocados and coconut too. Super healthy for the little fur balls..
Great idea
very tiny amounts of avocado kills birds. best to leave it out, as birds are ground foragers.
What about the hot peppers' affecting the soft tissues of the birds' digestive systems? I think this needs enough research to prove it doesn't injure birds!!!
Hey! Yes, that has always been a concern too. Luckily, this stuff has been sold for many, many years, and not one ornithologist or bird organization has come out against using hot pepper bird food. :)
@@BirdWatchingHQ that's GREAT! Thank you!
@@BirdWatchingHQ Right- and I did some research today looking for any scientific study (not a marketing study) that indicated that it's harmful to birds and could find nothing conclusive. While I don't want to harm the squirrels and chipmunks around our feeders (I have a separate feeder for them 30 feet away) I am not happy when they take over. And the squirrels and chipmunks cause house damage, so I'm willing to use the treated seed to discourage them.
What about a bird feeder at the top of a greased metal pole or bar? The feeder has to be high enough off the ground and away from any launching platforms so the squirrels can't jump up to the feeder and the grease shouldn't be anything toxic (i.e. axle grease) but adhear to the pole so as to not require multiple coatings throughout the time you want white spatter spots on your car.
I have tried similar materials and nope, the squirrels will find a way to climb. In a subsequent trial, an 11 foot long wire was hung from a tree limb about 20 foot off the ground, (whoa!), a 10 foot long 1/2" PVC pipe pushed up and over the wire, (so birds would not fly into the wire), and birdfeeder attached, (same model as in this video). This cut down a lot on the sunflower seed usage but there were days when the seeds just flew out of there. Sometimes the squirrels would jump from the top of a pickup maybe 6 ft away and 4 ft lower and make it to the feeder. Wow. So I moved the truck. Sunflower stock lasted a lot longer for about 2 weeks.....The squirrel(s) climbed up the tree, down the 1/2" PVC pipe to the feeder, then would hand over its edge so as not to close the feeder door with its weight. Following its snack, it just jumped down onto the ground 10 ft below. The squirrels finally took down the feeder which has yet to return to service. A peanut feed the same as in the background was a hung similarly from a tree limb just a few feet away from the sunflower seed feeder. A squirrel did the same scaling feat on this but was pretty much unsuccessful getting enough peanuts to make the work worthwhile.
@@somaday2595 I have an aluminum 10" diameter pipe attached to my 10 foot piece of galvanized conduit, that I have my squirrel proof feeder (guess what?) it's not squirrel proof. I have the pipe 7 feet above the ground (I painted it black) Tree rats can only jump average of 10 feet, but their front legs can't grasp and hang onto something that is slick and too big around to hug. Next, they will try from the garage roof or the bird bath, nope doesn't work either. Every now and then a new rat will try climbing up the pole and 5 seconds later come sliding back down because he couldn't see the feeder anymore.
@@somaday2595 My mom had a problem with the squirrels (on in particular) raiding her bird feeders. She tried a variety of methods to thwart those beggars, the last of which was to hang the feeders using a very fine, but multiple strand twisted wire that was a bitch to cut with wire cutters ..... but when the squirrels couldn't get past the extra wide cowl she mounted above the feeders, the most persistent of the squirrels just gnawed through the wire dropping the feeder. Mom went back to the hardware store with the rest of the spool of wire ..... and they gave her back her money.
@@tinydancer7426 The squirrels gnawed through steel wire?
@@somaday2595 Yep! She said she had a new respect for Notch. The squirrel was a regular at the bird feeders, had a notch in one ear, hence the name, must have been a scrapper 'cause many times when it came to raid the bird feeders, it would have fresh facial wounds and/or bits of fur missing.
What is the bird feeder with the cage around it. The ones I’ve seen let the squirrels inside according to reviews. I’d like to get what you have. Sorry for such a Fiume question
I live in Australia. Our native possums will eat most things and any chillies I have grown. I considered spraying pepper juice over my mangoes as the possums will completely destroy a whole crop on the mango tree over the course of a week.
I found one possum sitting on the ground feasting on my habanero chillies and seeming to enjoy meal but I did try it on the mangoes just to see . it was a failure.
The expression on the squirrels face just says it all. It's a good thing you didn't have water around otherwise the water would be empty!
Let me get this straight....you actually observed an expression on the squirrels face? Did you also see a hookah-smoking caterpillar and a Alice when she's 10 feet tall?
@@rvierra7235 Jefferson Airplane. Nice
The cruelty of the human race knows no bounds!!
These squirrels are rodents. And are as destructive as rats.
@@sherrykendrick1765No, the human race is the most destructive force on earth!
I feel sorry truly for people like you.
Oddly enough this does not deter rats. The rats in my area just love the stuff.
.22LR
@@jmitch623 I wish. I'm in the middle of a large city so shooting is out of the question.
Thank you so much! I watched your video and just ordered a bag. I love feeding the birds, but those furry rats with tails are utterly annoying. This should do the trick!
Hi Scat, amazing. Never seen this before!
I use lead on my squirrels, they don't like that either.
Ditto. Plus we feed two feral tabby's they keep the tree rats on their guard.